


Reach Out

by purplekitte



Category: Hallowed Knights - Josh Reynolds, Warhammer Age of Sigmar - Fandom
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, M/M, Puppy Piles, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 19:10:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17249768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplekitte/pseuds/purplekitte
Summary: Tornus only realised he’d flinched when Gardus drew back, mildly worried. ‘I am not being used to being touched.’





	Reach Out

**Author's Note:**

> First AoS fic I've actually gotten finished, unlike the handful of longer WIPs I have lying around

‘Tornus, are you alright?’

Tornus only realised he’d flinched when Gardus drew back, mildly worried. ‘I am not being used to being touched.’

‘I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, brother.’ Gardus pulled back and Tornus found himself suddenly sad for the loss.

‘I am not being uncomfortable. Surprised only. Out of practice.’

‘Is that so?’ Rather than ruffling his hair again, Gardus leaned his tempestos hammer against his knee to throw an arm over his shoulder entirely.

Tornus leaned into it. It was nice to be touched this way, by someone who had shown him nothing but kindness and acceptance without reservation. The followers of Nurgle were often free with physical affection--not in a Slaaneshi way, but easy back-slaps and hearty pokes at open wounds to fit their persona of geniality. Stormcast were often easy with each other as well, but with friends. Tornus had comrades but he had not earned close bosom companions.

‘There now, is that alright?’ Except Gardus, who shone with an aura of Sigmar’s light even with Azyr as a too-bright background. Gardus who did not understand what was _deserved_ or not. Who did not understand keeping himself safe from the pains of the world, from betrayal and loss and falling short. He gave and he gave and he gave, his faith in Sigmar telling him this was what he was meant to do.

Tornus kissed him. He hadn’t intended to, but Gardus’ lips were right there, smiling at him above his shoulder. Gardus kissed back--passionless, Grymn complained Gardus had the unbreakable surety of faith but no fire, but he gave of himself as always. He was something Tornus could drown in. He clung to him, tighter and tighter, until he was sure he’d have left dents in sigmarite if they hadn’t been sparring out of armour.

Slowly but surely, Gardus pushed him back to arm’s length, however. ‘We shouldn’t.’

‘I am being very--’

‘Don’t apologise. It’s not whatever you’re thinking. It is because I am Lord-Celestant of the Chamber and I know you admire me quite a bit. I will not rush into anything that even gives the appearance of taking advantage.’

‘Grymn is being right, you are being cold as starlight,’ Tornus grumbled, though it was his uncompromising goodness in all things that made Tornus admire him so much. Stormcast did not commonly take lovers--the pleasures of the flesh grew less interesting when your flesh was starstuff and your blood thunder, but it was not unknown or forbidden. They swore oaths of pair-binding even less often, with lovers or not, for their duty to fight for Sigmar was too pressing for such a commitment to another, but it was hallowed too when it happened. The aura of light around Gardus was bright with rainbows as though passing through a prism, so he must have felt something, despite Tornus’ words.

‘So I may be.’ Gardus smiled at him, kindly. ‘I do like you. You are someone worth admiring as well.’ Even when he said nonsense like that. ‘Would you sit with me, as a brother, if nothing else?’

‘That I can be doing.’

Gardus leaned himself on his tempestos hammer as if had not a care in the world. Tornus leaned on him, and Gardus let him. Gardus was warm through his shirt, whatever Tornus (or Grymn) had said. Warm with lightning, warm with light.

Enyo found them there. She had clearly intended to spar too, but she took a long look at them, and seated herself back to Tornus’ back without a word, their wings propping each other’s up. There was a crackle of lightning and the comforting smell of ozone. Periphas roosted next to Ospheonis and began to groom the other star-eagle.

‘We are being grown a shield-wall,’ Tornus commented as Serena, Taya, and Tegrus entered the sparring room and immediately added themselves to the sides of the brothers and sisters, wings of the Knight-Venators puffed up.

‘It will be fine,’ Gardus said as Aetius, Kurunta, and Osric joined the pile. ‘We can’t actually drown,’ he added as Grymn’s gryph-hound Tallon perched on his head. ‘I don’t think.’

Grymn’s voice rose from further out. ‘Cadoc, no.’ Others joined him, in vain as the entire pile of Stomcast rocked with Cadoc throwing himself in it in full sigmarite armour.

‘This is why you’re the friend no one likes,’ Enyo observed.

‘I’m king of the hill and you can’t stop me,’ the Knight-Azyros replied without a hint of repentance as others nursed their bruises and rapped their bare knuckles off his polished silver armour in fond annoyance.

‘Why has the sparing chamber turned into a box for gryph-hound chicks and juveniles of other species?’ asked Morbus, as if this was not the _most_ aggravating nonsense he’d had to deal with that day, but he still lived in hope that the wonders would stop and continued to be disappointed.

‘Tornus needed a hug,’ said Gardus without hesitation. Tornus tried to bury his face in his hands in embarrassment. Well, Gardus’ shoulder was close enough. He had nice shoulders.

Morbus gave a hard look to those who were snickering. ‘Who gives succor to a comrade?’

‘Only the faithful.’

‘Who begrudges none aid and comfort?’

‘Only the faithful.’

‘Who, Sigmar help me, takes over the sparring chamber for cuddle piles in the middle of the day?’

‘Only the faithful!’


End file.
